MOLINA HEALTHCARE OF ILLINOIS HONORS LOCAL HEROES AT ITS THIRD ANNUAL COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS AWARDS CEREMONY
edited by Kai EL’ Zabar
Recently the good deeds of six community heroes celebrated by Molina Healthcare of Illinois at its third annual Community Champions Awards Ceremony. The 2016 honorees included Asiaha Butler, Celeste T. Parker, Jeanie Griffin, Maria Gonzalez, Natasha Nicholes and Nita Hailey-Gamble.
Cathy Harvey, president of Molina Healthcare of Illinois was happy to share, “The winners of this award go above and beyond to help others in need and play an integral role in building a stronger and more collaborative community.” She continued, “And we are pleased to recognize these six individuals as our 2016 Community Champions award winners for their devoted and selfless contributions.
Held at the Greenhouse Loft in Chicago the Community Champions program celebrates the vision of Dr. C. David Molina, the founder of Molina Healthcare, as well as community partners who work together to care for those in need. The evening included dinner, entertainment and presentations of the awards and grant awarded. Each community champion was nominated by a community-based organization and also received a $1,000 grant to give to a deserving nonprofit organization of his/her choice. All of the 2016 winners serve their communities in different ways, but have the common goal to provide help and support to those in need.
In attendance were dignitaries, Congressman Danny K. Davis, Representative Sonya Harper and David Evers from Commissioner Robert Steele of Cook County’s office.
The awardees are:
· Asiaha Butler – works with Teamwork Englewood to provide opportunities for Chicago’s local residents to purchase affordable city-owned lots and become more involved in city development.
· Celeste T. Parker – created a children’s book series to educate local children on confidence and breaking stereotypes.
· Jeanie Griffin – has volunteered for more than two decades with Young Men’s Educational Network (YMEN) and PEARL by teaching weekly art classes to Chicago children.
· Maria Gonzalez – supports the Latino community by hosting educational events with Mujeres en Acción to explain the process of applying for citizenship, the benefits and more.
· Natasha Nicholes – serves the local community as an American Red Cross Preparedness Health and Safety Instructor as well as a Disaster Action Team member by organizing events to provide residents with resources and tools such as free smoke detectors.
· Nita Hailey-Gamble – Coordinates free public events and services through her work with West Humboldt Park Development Council including a farmer’s market, community garden that provides free produce and education sessions for Chicago residents.
More . . .
About Molina Healthcare of Illinois
Since 2013, Molina Healthcare of Illinois has been providing government-funded care for low-income individuals. From the beginning and through today, our mission has been to bring high-quality and cost-effective health care to kids, adults, seniors, families and people with disabilities. As of December 2015, the company serves approximately 98,000 members through Medicaid and Medicare-Medicaid (Duals) health programs. Molina’s service area includes 19 counties throughout Illinois. Molina’s state Provider Network includes 1,251 primary care physicians, 4,126 specialist physicians, 1,150 ancillary services and 73 hospitals.
About Molina Healthcare
Molina Healthcare, Inc., a FORTUNE 500 company, provides managed health care services under the Medicaid and Medicare programs and through the state insurance marketplaces. Through our locally operated health plans in 11 states across the nation and in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Molina serves approximately 3.9 million members. Dr. C. David Molina founded our company in 1980 as a provider organization serving low-income families in Southern California. Today, we continue his mission of providing high quality and cost-effective health care to those who need it most. For more information about Molina Healthcare, please visit our website at molinahealthcare.com.
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